diff --git a/core/java/android/app/ApplicationPackageManager.java b/core/java/android/app/ApplicationPackageManager.java
index 4048e6596cfcd..49d522440fc42 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/ApplicationPackageManager.java
+++ b/core/java/android/app/ApplicationPackageManager.java
@@ -222,9 +222,18 @@ public class ApplicationPackageManager extends PackageManager {
 
     @Override
     public Intent getLeanbackLaunchIntentForPackage(String packageName) {
-        // Try to find a main leanback_launcher activity.
+        return getLaunchIntentForPackageAndCategory(packageName, Intent.CATEGORY_LEANBACK_LAUNCHER);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Intent getCarLaunchIntentForPackage(String packageName) {
+        return getLaunchIntentForPackageAndCategory(packageName, Intent.CATEGORY_CAR_LAUNCHER);
+    }
+
+    private Intent getLaunchIntentForPackageAndCategory(String packageName, String category) {
+        // Try to find a main launcher activity for the given categories.
         Intent intentToResolve = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_MAIN);
-        intentToResolve.addCategory(Intent.CATEGORY_LEANBACK_LAUNCHER);
+        intentToResolve.addCategory(category);
         intentToResolve.setPackage(packageName);
         List<ResolveInfo> ris = queryIntentActivities(intentToResolve, 0);
 
diff --git a/core/java/android/content/Intent.java b/core/java/android/content/Intent.java
index 6e9970980e96c..4b847dd4f6b5e 100644
--- a/core/java/android/content/Intent.java
+++ b/core/java/android/content/Intent.java
@@ -3926,6 +3926,14 @@ public class Intent implements Parcelable, Cloneable {
      */
     @SdkConstant(SdkConstantType.INTENT_CATEGORY)
     public static final String CATEGORY_LEANBACK_LAUNCHER = "android.intent.category.LEANBACK_LAUNCHER";
+    /**
+     * Indicates the preferred entry-point activity when an application is launched from a Car
+     * launcher. If not present, Car launcher can optionally use {@link #CATEGORY_LAUNCHER} as a
+     * fallback, or exclude the application entirely.
+     * @hide
+     */
+    @SdkConstant(SdkConstantType.INTENT_CATEGORY)
+    public static final String CATEGORY_CAR_LAUNCHER = "android.intent.category.CAR_LAUNCHER";
     /**
      * Indicates a Leanback settings activity to be displayed in the Leanback launcher.
      * @hide
diff --git a/core/java/android/content/pm/PackageManager.java b/core/java/android/content/pm/PackageManager.java
index deb8dfb110945..0d27c256bd90a 100644
--- a/core/java/android/content/pm/PackageManager.java
+++ b/core/java/android/content/pm/PackageManager.java
@@ -3043,6 +3043,21 @@ public abstract class PackageManager {
      */
     public abstract @Nullable Intent getLeanbackLaunchIntentForPackage(@NonNull String packageName);
 
+    /**
+     * Return a "good" intent to launch a front-door Car activity in a
+     * package, for use for example to implement an "open" button when browsing
+     * through packages. The current implementation will look for a main
+     * activity in the category {@link Intent#CATEGORY_CAR_LAUNCHER}, or
+     * return null if no main car activities are found.
+     *
+     * @param packageName The name of the package to inspect.
+     * @return Returns either a fully-qualified Intent that can be used to launch
+     *         the main Car activity in the package, or null if the package
+     *         does not contain such an activity.
+     * @hide
+     */
+    public abstract @Nullable Intent getCarLaunchIntentForPackage(@NonNull String packageName);
+
     /**
      * Return an array of all of the POSIX secondary group IDs that have been
      * assigned to the given package.
diff --git a/services/tests/servicestests/src/com/android/server/backup/testutils/PackageManagerStub.java b/services/tests/servicestests/src/com/android/server/backup/testutils/PackageManagerStub.java
index 9cac536bead6a..613d0afea183e 100644
--- a/services/tests/servicestests/src/com/android/server/backup/testutils/PackageManagerStub.java
+++ b/services/tests/servicestests/src/com/android/server/backup/testutils/PackageManagerStub.java
@@ -86,6 +86,11 @@ public class PackageManagerStub extends PackageManager {
         return null;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public Intent getCarLaunchIntentForPackage(String packageName) {
+        return null;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public int[] getPackageGids(String packageName) throws NameNotFoundException {
         return new int[0];
diff --git a/test-mock/src/android/test/mock/MockPackageManager.java b/test-mock/src/android/test/mock/MockPackageManager.java
index 13e3693cada06..41cde175759d4 100644
--- a/test-mock/src/android/test/mock/MockPackageManager.java
+++ b/test-mock/src/android/test/mock/MockPackageManager.java
@@ -108,6 +108,12 @@ public class MockPackageManager extends PackageManager {
         throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
     }
 
+    /** @hide */
+    @Override
+    public Intent getCarLaunchIntentForPackage(String packageName) {
+        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
+    }
+
     @Override
     public int[] getPackageGids(String packageName) throws NameNotFoundException {
         throw new UnsupportedOperationException();